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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22908226">I Don't Believe Gossip</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexluna/pseuds/Lexluna'>Lexluna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, How Do I Tag, I tagged both felix and felix graham de vanilla because apparently they're two different tags???, Light Angst, Lila Rossi Bashing, Minor Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Minor Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Minor Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Misunderstandings, One-Sided Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but very light, felix is ready to go back to england, marinette is ready to fight, mentions of kinks and implied bdsm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:22:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22908226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexluna/pseuds/Lexluna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neither Felix nor Ladybug were expecting their night to end up like this but here they are, hiding behind an electrical generator listening to Alya talk about Ladybug's and Chat Noir's kinks.<br/>Marinette just wanted to see if Felix was a terrorist.<br/>Felix just wanted to walk home.<br/>Alternatively titled Felix sees Ladybug smile and then Felix sees Marinette smile and then has thoughts(tm).</p>
<p>Now including part 2!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix Graham de Vanily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>889</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey! So this is my first fic for miraculous ladybug and on ao3! It's also just the first time I've written anything in a long time so sorry I'm a little rusty! Felix is still Adrien's cousin in this and a graham vanilla, but I gave him blue eyes and the slightly longer hair because I hate that they literally just made him Adrien's clone. So feel free to imagine PV Felix. Otherwise Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felix was having a relatively peaceful night. There were seldom few people still out and only a slight breeze, allowing him to enjoy a quiet walk back home from the library.</p>
<p>While he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be back in Paris, never mind now living there, at least he wasn’t stuck in that mansion with his awful uncle and cousin again. No, his mother had decided it would be best to step back from Graham De Vanily films and take some time off, and had purchased a small home in Paris to stay for a while. Felix knew she would never admit it, but she was afraid that she was using her job as a coping mechanism to the same extent Gabriel was. Of course, this was absolutely absurd, his mother could never become as pitiful as that man, but if the move would make her feel better than he would humor it. It probably wouldn’t hurt for his mother to take a break and be able to relax anyways, especially after losing his father and aunt within such a short time.</p>
<p>And it wasn’t like Felix had anything against Paris itself, but he would rather avoid the company he was sure he was going to be forced to take up. He knew his mother was worried about how Adrien was being treated. Felix could see why, it was obvious his uncle was neglecting him, but why that was now his mother’s problem was beyond him. It’s not like either Agreste cared much when his own family was struggling with his father’s death, so as far as Felix was concerned him and his mother could be afforded the same right towards Adrien.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, his mother didn’t see it that way; which meant that not only was Felix sure that Adrien would be over at their house a lot, but the school that his mom has chosen for him to attend was most likely the same as his cousin’s. And knowing his luck, he’d probably be placed in the same class.</p>
<p>He winced thinking about how that would go. While Felix didn’t need friends or particularly care what people thought of him, he wouldn’t have been opposed to the majority of the class not hating him on sight.</p>
<p>Still, he mused, there was little that could be done about that now. He would just have to suck it up and play nice for the time being until his mother felt better.</p>
<p>He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t even notice Ladybug out and about until she was right in front of him, forcing him to stop. He scowled as she looked him up and down before glancing around the street, seemingly anxious.</p>
<p>“What do you-” He started to say before she suddenly pulled him towards her and swung her yo-yo towards a building, supporting him with one arm. Felix certainly did not yelp, thank you very much.</p>
<p>Before he knew it, he was being unceremoniously dumped on the roof of a building and had Ladybug’s yo-yo wrapped around him. “Do you make a habit of kidnapping people or am I just special?” He snarled, trying to find a way to get out of the hold.</p>
<p>Ladybug rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Only when they tried to work with a terrorist. Why are you back in Paris?” She pulled on the string, effectively winding Felix and thus stopping his squirming.</p>
<p>“I live here? And I didn’t ‘work with a terrorist’.” He groused back.</p>
<p>“You offered to, wait,” She stopped before squinting at him. “Your eyes are blue; they were green the last time I saw you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, those are called contacts, my mom runs a movie company,” He rolled his eyes. “And what does literally any of this matter to you? Or do Paris’ heroes regularly harass citizens and question them about their eyes and where they live? Next are you going to question me why my hair’s a little longer?”</p>
<p>She at least had the decency to blush before her eyes hardened again in determination. “Adrien told me you lived in England.”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow. “You were talking with my cousin? Why do you even know him?”</p>
<p>“I had to protect him from the akuma you caused when you offered to help Hawkmoth,” She pulled at the string again, <em>and really wasn’t it already tight enough</em>? “You offered to help him in exchange for some jewelry, right? So what, you’re after the miraculous too? Is that why you’re back in Paris?”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t after ‘just some jewelry’,” he seethed. “If you must know, which you really have no right to, my mother just moved us here. I was only interested in Hawkmoth because I thought he could help me steal back my family’s rings. I’ve heard he can give people power, but seeing as he’s proven himself to be incapable, I no longer have any interest in him or anything to do with you heroes.” He hissed out the last part, glaring at her pointedly.</p>
<p>She squinted at him again, seemingly weighing what he said in her mind. Felix could almost see the cogs turning. “Somebody stole your family’s rings?”</p>
<p>“What does it matter to you?”</p>
<p>“Seeing as both Chat Noir and I can testify that we saw you willingly offer to help Hawkmoth and your story is the only thing stopping me from taking you to the police station, it should matter to both of us a great deal.”</p>
<p>His eyes narrowed, “<em>Fine</em>. I was trying to get back a pair of rings from my uncle. They belong to my mother’s family and hold a great deal of sentimental value to her. And even though my mom has all but begged for them back, my uncle refuses to give them to her because they were the wedding rings for him and my aunt. But he has no right to them!” He snarled, becoming angrier at both his uncle and this entire situation. “My mom is already struggling with the death of my father as is, and my uncle needs to learn he’s not the only one to miss his wife! Those rings represent the legacy of the Graham de Vanily family and more importantly represent my aunt to my mom. Gabriel has never cared about our family aside from my aunt so he certainly has no right to care about the rings!” By the end of his rant he was yelling, and he saw Ladybug looking at him with wide eyes. He was about to continue when the yo-yo around him suddenly disappeared only to snap at something behind him. Before he could fully register it, she had the yo-yo back in her hands and muttered a quick “Bye bye little butterfly” as a white butterfly emerged from her yo-yo.</p>
<p>Felix stilled as he processed what just happened. <em>Oh fuck no</em>. “Was I just about to get akumatized?” He asked stiffly.</p>
<p>She looked pained. “I’m sorry Felix, I didn’t know-”</p>
<p>He had heard enough. “No, you didn’t. But yes, I thought Hawkmoth might be able to help, but again, seeing as how he is obviously bad at his job if he can’t even get the jewelry he wants, I no longer have any interest in him or you.” He stood up. “I certainly don’t want to become his pawn. Now if you’ll let me go about my night-”</p>
<p>He paused as loud thudding and voices started coming from the stairwell. For the second time that night he was in Ladybug’s arms as she all but tackled him, scooping him into a bridal carry as she hopped over the gap between roofs and hid them both behind an electrical generator on the next roof over. She slammed them both down so that Felix’s back was pressed against her stomach and held a hand over his mouth. Felix felt himself go red as he was effectively pressed up against her thighs and chest and <em>wow this skintight suit is surprisingly thick thank god</em>. Still not one to be manhandled though, he quickly tried to squirm away only for her to shush him right as the door slammed open.</p>
<p>“Damn it, Nino! I told you to be quiet! Now Ladybug and whoever she was talking to are gone.”</p>
<p>“Ladyblogger,” Ladybug supplied, quietly whispering in his ear and making him shiver a little. “Definitely don’t want to get caught by her.”</p>
<p>“Me? Alya you were running up the stairs, I’m sure she heard you. Besides it was probably just Chat Noir, dude was blond, wasn’t he? Who else would Ladybug be hanging out with?” Nino huffed back between breaths, clearly, they had been running. Felix rolled his eyes. Great, first he was mistaken for Adrien all the time and now he was Chat Noir? Still, as Ladybug pointed out, it was probably better than actually being identified as himself in this instance.</p>
<p>“But it looked like she was using her yo-yo and had someone tied up!” He heard Alya huff, she wouldn’t do that to Chat Noir unless…”</p>
<p>“Alya, babe, no.” Nino groaned and suddenly he didn’t need to see Alya’s expression to know she was probably smirking. By this point Ladybug seemed more entranced with their conversation than with him, and she seemingly trusted him not to say anything as she removed her hand. Felix quickly scrambled out of what was basically her lap, face still a little flushed, not that Ladybug seemed to care. He moved to try and sneak towards the door when Ladybug’s yo-yo was once again around him and he was hauled back towards her side in a matter of seconds. <em>Well at least she left me use of my arms this time.</em></p>
<p>“Sorry,” She whispered, briefly glancing at him and shooting him an awkward smile before turning around to try and get a look at the pair on the other roof. “I don’t want to keep you but if you snuck out now they would’ve definitely seen you, and trust me, trying to explain why you’re randomly on rooftops and not a superhero is no fun.”</p>
<p>He wondered what she meant by that before remembering that this was a side job for her. He was still annoyed to be tied up again, but for the first time he wondered about the girl behind the mask. How many times <em>had</em> she gotten caught on rooftops not as ladybug?</p>
<p>A loud “Nobody wants to hear your theories about Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s kinks!” once again shocked him into paying attention. He turned a bewildered look to Ladybug to see if she would tell him how the conversation had gone that way, but all he got was Ladybug looking the same color as her suit.  </p>
<p>Alya smiled coyly. “I’m just saying, Nino, we both saw those pictures Alix sent me of Chat Noir blindfolded, gagged, and tied up with her yo-yo.”</p>
<p>“Nope!” Nino yelled at the same time Felix dove for Ladybug, covering her mouth with his hand to better muffle the squeak she had let out. Thankfully it seemed between Nino’s exclamation and Felix’s quick thinking nobody noticed the noise. “We both know that was for a lucky charm,” Nino continued, “and just because its your weird kinky fantasy-which I’m not judging you for and I love you babe-doesn’t mean I want to hear about it or that it’s anyone else’s, including Ladybug and Chat Noir. Case closed. We’re done.”</p>
<p>“Nino,” Alya whined, “you know I’m just teasing. Mostly.”</p>
<p>“Yep sure babe,” Nino spoke quickly, throwing his arm around Alya. “Now it’s starting to get cold, why don’t we go get some hot chocolate, go home, and watch a movie.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, alright.” Alya rolled her eyes, grinning. “I’m just saying though you can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”</p>
<p>“I really haven’t Alya. I really haven’t.” And with that he opened the door for her and all but pushed her in, letting it shut behind him.</p>
<p>Felix released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, before he looked down at Ladybug and quickly pulled away as if he’d been burned. He had been crowding the poor girl in his haste to quiet her but still allow her to see, and whether she was still red from his actions or the conversation they heard mattered very little to him at this point. He moved to put some distance between them only to fall back as ladybug had left only a little bit of her yo-yo’s string out. She seemed to instinctively pull tighter <em>and seriously what did he have to do to get her to stop pulling</em> before she turned to look at him. She promptly let out another, much louder squeak before quickly releasing him from the yoyo’s hold and burying her now extremely red face in her hands.</p>
<p>She was muttering something way too quickly for him to understand, and it took him a second to realize what had caused this reaction. She had tied him up. With her yo-yo string. Just like Alya was talking about and <em>nope, not going there</em>.</p>
<p>He coughed, feeling his face heat up. “So, um…” he floundered, <em>anything, literally anything to say to stop this situation,</em> “you blindfolded and gagged Chat Noir.” <em>Terrible job brain</em>.</p>
<p>She groaned, looking like she wanted to drop dead on the spot. “It was for a lucky charm” she whined. “I had no choice; it was the only way the plan would work.” She then looked up at him, suddenly urgent. “And don’t believe Alya, Chat Noir and I are not together and we do not do things like that and I’m definitely not like that and-”</p>
<p>“It’s alright, I believe you.” He held his hands up placatingly, more concerned about whether or not she could breathe with how quickly she was talking. “I don’t believe in gossip.”</p>
<p>Ladybug looked at him like he had just told her Hawkmoth’s identity. “Thank you.” She breathed out, flashing him a beaming smile that almost startled him in its sincerity.</p>
<p>“Of course.” He swallowed, suddenly aware that for all their trying to get apart they were still relatively close together. He cleared his throat and stood up, trying to will away the heat from his face, and offered her his hand. She graciously took it, letting out a nervous giggle at the entire situation. “Ah well,” he cleared his throat again, still feeling awkward, “I should probably get going. It’s pretty late and my mother should be expecting me home by now.”</p>
<p>She looked down, and they both simultaneously realized they were still holding hands. She pulled hers back quickly and still looking down, rambled “Right, yeah. It’s getting pretty cold and dark and we should probably both go and,” she took a breath before looking up at him shyly, “I’m the one who dragged you up here, and kept you out so late. At least let me walk you home, or if you’re comfortable I can swing you over faster.”</p>
<p>Felix was ready to decline, but looking at her face and then thinking about the walk, he groaned, “Alright, just don’t drop me and give me warning this time?”</p>
<p> Ladybug giggled, “Of course.”</p>
<p>In a matter of minutes (terrifying, terrifying minutes for Felix who was not used to going that fast that high up) she had him back on a small balcony of an apartment building. Ladybug looked at the place thoughtfully. “I would have thought you would have a mansion like Adrien.” She muttered, more to herself then him.</p>
<p>Felix frowned. “Just because we can doesn’t mean we need to.” He bit back, a little offended. “Not everyone needs to be as extravagant as Gabriel.”</p>
<p>Ladybug winced and quickly backtracked, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like that! It just seems… cozy. Like my home. I like it.”</p>
<p>Felix relaxed more at that. He was about to bid her goodnight when he remembered something. “Out of curiosity, what is your relationship to Adrien anyways? You didn’t fall for my trick even when his friends did,” He paused, narrowing his eyes, “You know he has like a million pictures of you on his phone, right? Are you two dating or something?”</p>
<p>“What?” She yelled, blushing bright red before wincing and lowering her volume. “H-However many pictures of me civilians have on their phone doesn’t matter,” Her voice came out higher than normal and Felix was definitely going to store that information away for later. “I-I’ve had to protect him from akumas a few times. I just knew he wouldn’t come on that strong.” She tugged on her yo-yo string anxiously, speaking softly, “Besides I don’t think he likes me like that.”</p>
<p>“Do you want him to?” Felix asked before he thought better of it.</p>
<p>Ladybug looked at him, conflicted. Slowly she said, “I guess you could say I have a bit of a celebrity crush on him. Silly, I know,” She added, seeing the look on his face. “But I would never date as Ladybug. I wouldn’t want to put anyone at risk, especially someone I cared that much about.” She sighed, turning away from him and looking up at the stars. “Besides, even if he liked me and I could make sure he was safe, I’d want him to like <em>me</em>, the girl behind the mask too. And not just because I’m Ladybug, but because who I am normally.”</p>
<p>“You can’t really change just because you have a mask.” Felix found himself saying. “You may feel like it, like you’re more confident and capable, but at the end of the day it’s still you. It’s still your plans, your actions, and your capability. I guess you’re stronger and you have a magic yo-yo to kidnap people with,” she let out a snort at this, “but at the end of the day you’re still you. Still just a normal girl.” And then, feeling awkward about the whole thing added, “Unless, you know, your miraculous possess you or something.” <em>And yep its time for this conversation to be over</em>. “Sorry, I’m usually much more eloquent but I’m afraid I don’t have much practice in reassuring others.”</p>
<p>Chuckling, Ladybug spoke, “You know, I think you’re right. The miraculous does have side effects. I tend to do a lot less kidnappings with magic yo-yos when I’m not Ladybug.”</p>
<p>“But with regular yo-yos is still possible.”</p>
<p>Ladybug looked at him and smiled so softly it almost hurt. “Of course.” She neared whispered, before stepping close to him and pressing the lightest of kisses on his cheek. “Thank you, Felix. Flag me down sometime, and I’ll help you get your rings back.” And before he could respond back, she had jumped off his patio and off into the night, leaving him just his thoughts and a warm cheek.</p>
<p>Dazed, as he got ready for bed, the only thought he could really process was <em>how did my night end up like this</em>.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>As it did turn out, Felix ended up going to Adrien’s school. Come Monday he found himself wandering around with only a vague idea of where he was supposed to go. The people in the office gave him his schedule and that was that, probably assuming his cousin would guide him. This would have been a reasonable assumption except for the fact that Adrien was nowhere to be found whatsoever, and Felix was not about to ask one of his new classmates for help. He knew his classroom was somewhere upstairs, and upon seeing two girls talking in a classroom, he figured at best it was the right one and he could pretend he knew that and at worse he would have to ask help from people he would never interact with again.</p>
<p>As he opened the door, he caught the tail end of “-and then you won’t have any friends left.” before both girls turned around.</p>
<p><em>Oh. It’s the I-love-you girl and the delusional one who thinks she’s Adrien’s girlfriend. Perfect.</em> “I’m assuming this is not Mrs. Bustier’s classroom?”</p>
<p>It was clear from the tension in the room that he had interrupted Adrien’s not-girlfriend threatening the love-you girl. He wondered idly if it had anything to do with Adrien. Knowing what little he did of the two girls, he couldn’t help but internally roll his eyes, <em>of course it would</em>.  </p>
<p>“Ah you’re Felix, right? Adrien’s cousin?” Adrien’s not-girlfriend spoke with the fakest smile he had ever seen. “I’m Lila!” Her grin turned predatory as she looked him up and down, and Felix could practically see her labeling him as ‘Adrien 2’ in her mind. She reached out to take his arm and he quickly sidestepped, scoffing as she stumbled. “Felix Graham de Vanily will do just fine, thank you.” Seemingly not one to be deterred, however, she politely smiled, “Of course. Why don’t I show you to class, Marinette’s usually late anyways” she giggled, sending a smirk towards the other girl.</p>
<p>“Actually, Lila as class president I was supposed to show Felix around before you asked me in here.” I-love-you girl, Marinette apparently, spoke up. Once Felix’s gaze was on her she faltered slightly, “Of course if you want to accompany Lila, Felix, I don’t mind. You can always ask me any questions you might have later.” She looked down at the floor, where papers were scattered everywhere, wincing. “Lila is right, I’m most likely going to be late while I try and find all the papers I had.”</p>
<p>“You’re so clumsy, Marinette. It’s a wonder how you get anything done!” Lila once again giggled, a sound that was quickly getting on Felix’s nerves. “Anyways, shall we Felix?” And she once again went to grab him only for him to again move out of the way.</p>
<p>“I would like to stay and help Marinette. The office told me that the class president was excused to show me around the school for the first period, and I would really like that tour. Of course, I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble, Lila. So, you should go ahead.” Felix spoke, making it clear with his tone that it was not a suggestion but a dismissal.</p>
<p>Lila frowned, but he realized not at him but rather Marinette behind him. <em>Was she seriously pinning his decision on this poor girl?</em> Turning to him she sighed sadly, “I understand. I just wanted to protect you from Marinette. Everybody knows she has a crush on Adrien, and she’s been known to use people close to him before. I just wanted to let you know before she could set her sights on you.” Behind him, he heard the sound of papers falling as Marinette stood in the center, shaking. He heard Lila giggle again, “See? Clumsy Marinette! Just be careful around her, Felix. And let me know if you need <em>anything</em>.” And with a flip of her hair and what she probably thought was an attractive saunter, she left.</p>
<p>Felix set his bag down and quickly turned to the girl who was still shaking like a leaf. Whether it was from anger or embarrassment he wasn’t sure, but even he couldn’t stand by and let her deal with that alone. Figuring it was best to give her some time to calm down, he bent down and began collecting the dropped papers. Beside him, he heard a loud breath, and then saw as she knelt down to help.</p>
<p>“I know she was just trying to make you look bad,” He spoke quietly, placing his pile on a desk. “Besides, I’m sure you don’t have the best impression of me anyways, but on the off chance my opinion matters to you, I assure you it hasn’t been influenced.”</p>
<p>She stayed quiet as she picked up the last few remaining papers before getting up and looking him in the eyes. “I suppose we’re even then. One bad first impression for another?” She set the papers down before offering him her hand, “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It’s nice to officially meet you, Felix.”</p>
<p>He took her hand cautiously, surprised at how calm she seemed to be. Clearing his throat, he couldn’t help but say, “To be on fair ground, I saw the video you made for my cousin. I had assumed you two were close if not dating. Is that not the case?”</p>
<p>She stiffened for the slightest second before seemingly forcing herself to relax. “Ah, no. I’m just Adrien’s friend. It’s true I have a slight crush on him, but I assure you nothing Lila said was true.” She shifted uncomfortably, “But lately she has been convincing our classmates that I’m jealous of her and the fact that she models with Adrien, and so if you hear them backing some of her claims…” she turned her back to him, anxiously reshuffling the papers, “if you’d still be willing to reserve judgement, I’d appreciate that.”</p>
<p>“I don’t believe in gossip.” He spoke plainly, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu.</p>
<p>And when Marinette turned to look at him as if he’d just announced Adrien’s proposal to her with a beaming grin that slowly turned into a smile so soft it almost hurt, all Felix could do was stand there helplessly as he felt his face warm up.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. I Don't Believe Love Confessions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette and Felix keep seeming to find themselves in incredibly awkward situations. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's meddling, but they both feel like they could really do without it. Adrien's here to prove them wrong.</p>
<p>Alternatively titled it's Marinette's turn to have thoughts(tm)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! A lot of people really seemed to like the first one so I've decided to do a sequel! Felix has basically none of his personality from the show, so again if you wanna pretend this is PV Felix go for it. Also sorry for the ending, I couldn't resist adding Adrien's thoughts haha. Otherwise, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette was better than this, she really was. Sure, Chat did it all the time, but he was Chat! The poor boy looked at her with such relief every time she let him in, and how could she possibly scold him for wanting a friend and a warm place to relax? They do say if you feed a stray it’ll keeping coming back, she supposed. But they do not say that about ladybugs! And why would they? Ladybug took her job very seriously, only ever transforming when needed or to patrol. Sure, lately patrol had meant more just hanging out on rooftops, but it still counted, damn it! But Tikki hadn’t said anything negative about it yet, and while Marinette loved her kwami, Tikki <em>always</em> made sure to tell Marinette when she thought she was using the miraculous inappropriately. Which meant that was a good thing, right? If the little god had nothing to say on the matter, surely it was a non-issue. But then why did Marinette’s stomach always flutter with guilt every time she did it?</p>
<p>The one time she had confronted Tikki about it, explaining her guilt and nerves and feelings of fluttering all, the little god had just giggled, “I don’t think what you’re feeling is guilt, Marinette.” And that certainly didn’t help at all. First, it was neither an approval or disapproval of her actions, and second what was that even supposed to mean? Regardless, the conversation had done little to make Marinette feel better about any of it. And yet.</p>
<p><em>Yet</em>. Marinette couldn’t really stop herself. Well, that’s not really true. Marinette could stop whenever she wanted, thank you very much. The issue was, she didn’t <em>want</em> to stop. She enjoyed the time they spent talking and scheming (planning, he would always scoff back). She liked bringing pastries and other goodies from her parents’ bakery for him to try (and really, that probably wasn’t the smartest way to protect her identity but the lie of receiving free treats and having an in with her civilian self seemed to work well). And that was another thing, he never dug for information about her identity.</p>
<p>She could admit to herself she was a little curious about Chat, but she knew not to ask because it would be unfair for Ladybug to know extra things about Chat that she didn’t feel comfortable sharing herself. She had a reason to stop herself, but he didn’t. And when she was Ladybug nobody stopped themselves from asking, least of all Chat. But there she was allowed to rant and ramble and just talk about herself. Not in anyway that would give clues to her identity, of course! But she could work around it, be vague and careful, make sure details remained blurry. And he respected that. The only time he’d ever pry was for brief context to better understand, or to ask what had her so worked up. Otherwise, he’d accept the information she gave him, never asking for more, and Marinette had never realized just how <em>nice</em> it was to be able to talk.</p>
<p>Sure, Chat was always willing to listen, but he could never do so without pushing for more details, trying to subtly see if he could connect any thoughts. And she couldn’t really hold it against him, half the time it seemed like he didn’t even notice he was doing it, much less meaning to. But it still left her on edge. And Alya, well, Alya was the definition of nosy. Nevermind the fact there was a whole part of her life she could never discuss. And lately… they hadn’t been hanging out as much. Not that Marinette minded, of course! She could understand Alya wanting to sit next to Nino and hang out with him more, and of course Lila had to claim the open seat next to Adrien, thus leaving Marinette in the back. And yeah, Alya had been spending a lot of time with Lila lately, but Marinette had always been invited! She could just never bring herself to go knowing she would cause conflict. Besides, Alya was still always willing to talk, and they did text frequently and sometimes hang out at each other’s houses, but it still left Marinette a lot more alone than she was used to being. Even Chat seemed to have less time for her, something about family issues and his civilian life becoming busier. And she completely understood! But, well, it didn’t do much to make her feel better.</p>
<p>Which brought her back to now, debating on whether or not to go visit her newest friend again. She <em>had</em> finished all her homework, and there were still some of their new macaroons left over from the sample platter her parents had made. Plus, she was dying to get him to try it and see what he thought. She liked the opinions he had on their food, even if she didn’t always agree. And, more importantly, she liked seeing his reactions to them. Whenever he scrunched up his nose in distaste, she couldn’t help but laugh, and the few rare occasions he actually liked something always left her smiling. No, she really liked hanging out with him. And wasn’t that part of the bigger issue? She was starting to think she actually <em>liked </em>Felix.</p>
<p>Sure, she enjoyed his company both as Ladybug and Marinette. He was surprisingly funny, and made sitting in the back way more enjoyable. But there was a difference between liking him and <em>liking him</em>, and she simply couldn’t accept the latter.</p>
<p>She had to admit her crush on Adrien had faded, something about seeing Lila always cling to him and lie to her friends (which he seemed to begrudgingly, though sadly, allow) had her mind associating him with her. And ever since Felix had confirmed Adrien had a crush on Ladybug, it had left her feeling a little hollow. Yeah, it was probably a celebrity crush, but he knew Marinette. The girl behind the mask was ‘just a friend’, and something about the situation stung too much for her to handle. She had briefly entertained the idea of pursuing Chat before ultimately coming to the same conclusion. He hung out with her as both Ladybug and Marinette, and he definitely had a better understanding of both than Adrien did. But at the end of the day it was still him waxing poetically about his love, sometimes to her civilian self even, that had her shooting down that idea. She understood not wanting to have a crush on two people, so even on the off chance either one the boys had thought about her that way they probably stuck with Ladybug, but she didn’t want to be second best to herself. Which again brought her back to Felix.</p>
<p>He treated Ladybug and Marinette the same way. Yeah, he was slightly more reserved around Marinette, but he also didn’t spend late nights talking to her. Yet his banter while they were sitting next to each other in class was just the same as when they were sitting in his room. And not only did he respect Ladybug’s privacy, but Marinette’s as well. She was always hesitant to work on sketching commissions in class, especially for famous people. Either someone would see it, refuse to let it go, and the next thing you know all of the class would know about it, including Lila which definitely set her on edge; but also, she had been playing with the idea of making MDC a brand. Uncle Jagged and Clara had certainly supported it, and that meant being a lot more secretive about what she was designing. Thus, it was something she started working on when she sat alone in the back. She was comfortable enough with her ability to retain what she had been listening to, and Mrs. Bustier couldn’t see and catch her when she was so far away. Plus, for better or for worse, her classmates kind of forgot about her when she was in the back, and not only did designing give her something to do, but the back also allowed for maximum secrecy. No one could bother her about her sketches if no one ever saw them.</p>
<p>Then Felix came, and while she was a little hesitant around him, she ultimately decided the extra time she got designing in class wasn’t worth giving up. While she at first tried to keep it from him, she eventually got comfortable enough to freely sketch. The first time he had commented on one of her designs nearly had her jumping out of her seat in surprise, but all he did was applaud her creativity and offer some suggestions he had picked up on from his mother’s costume department. Shortly thereafter Marinette found herself appreciating his take, after all some of Jagged’s outfits did seem to fall under more costume than regular clothing. And the first time one of the sketches he saw was actually worn by Jagged, all he did was congratulate her on bringing her design to life in a near perfect copy. There was no announcing it to the class, no can-you-design-me-one-too, not even questions about what is was like working with Jagged. In fact, the only time he ever approached her about making something was to commission something for his mom, and he refused to accept it for free. He wanted to pay MDC prices, but conceded when she refused to do it without giving him a friends and family discount. It was a stark change from her usual friends asking for things, and she absolutely adored getting to pick out high quality fabrics (even if Felix accompanied her and insisted on paying). The time he spent at her house checking on the progress of the blazer didn’t hurt either, nor did the handwritten thank you letter accompanied by a picture of his mother fawning over it.</p>
<p>It was just so <em>nice</em> and different from what she was used to, and she eventually came to realize that was just what Felix was. He was a breath of fresh air to both Ladybug and Marinette. And while she appreciated him greatly, she certainly didn’t want to have a crush on him. Marinette had made peace with being single and not needing to crush on anyone, and she had intended for it to stay that way. But <em>stupid Felix with his stupid niceness</em> seemed intent on ruining that. What made it worse still was that she was definitely done with having unrequited crushes. Yeah, Felix didn’t really get along with the class and was cold with them, but he was so kind and nice with both Ladybug and Marinette, so maybe that was just how he was when he could actually tolerate someone? While Marinette doubted he simply tolerated her, she also was sure that didn’t mean he had a crush on her.</p>
<p>But she couldn’t help it, and it was this thought on her mind that had her swinging over to his house once again. By now she knew his mother was usually asleep by eleven, and he was as much of a night owl as she was that coming past that was no bother to him. They had never developed an official schedule or anything like that for when she would come, but the minimum seemed to be at least once a week. She had already visited him once this week, and yeah it was the end of the week so technically it barely counted as a second time, but Marinette was starting to think she had a problem. She wondered if Felix thought she had a problem. He seemed to enjoy her company as much as she did his so maybe not?</p>
<p>Before she knew it, she was landing on his balcony, knocking to make sure he was decent. They politely don’t talk about why that became a rule, but the mental image of a surprisingly buff and lithe Felix was not something her mind was ever going to forget (I do ballet, he had stuttered out after they could both look in the general direction of one another).</p>
<p>Frowning when she heard some stumbling and cursing, a surprisingly huffy Felix came out and startled her with a quick, “You can’t be here.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry what?” Hurt flashed through her, and maybe if she had been in the right state of mind and had not just been debating her entire feelings for him just moments before she could have processed the demand rationally.</p>
<p>“I said you can’t be here I have-” And in a somewhat reminiscent manner to the first time they talked, someone coming up stairs startled them.</p>
<p>If you asked Marinette later, she would say it was Felix’s fault she ended up shoved in his closet. She likes to believe she would have snapped out of her hurt and could swing out of there in time, but rather than letting her go Felix had pulled her in, rolling his eyes as he shoved her in his closet and quickly closed the door.</p>
<p><em>At least it’s roomy</em> she thought to herself as she stumbled in, <em>and surprisingly neat</em>. Wondering just what exactly was going on, mind already frantically going to <em>oh no what if he has a girl over or something and I’m totally going to ruin his night and then our friendship </em>she really only had to wait about three seconds before a familiar “Hey Fe, I brought the rest of the popcorn!” had her silently cringing. <em>Well at least it wasn’t a kind of date</em>.</p>
<p>“Adrien, you know I’m not particularly fond of that stuff.” She could hear Felix scoff, mentally picturing him rolling his eyes and crossing his arms as he was prone to do when he was unimpressed.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but Father never lets me have things like this, but your mom is super cool about it.”</p>
<p>“So you’re taking advantage.”</p>
<p>“Unashamedly.” As she heard loud crunching.</p>
<p>“Obnoxiously.” Felix shot back.</p>
<p>Marinette tuned out their conversation as she tried to figure out how to get out of this situation. The last thing she wanted to do was to be eavesdropping on her old crush and new crush talking. As she searched for literally anything that could be useful, she idly wondered what Adrien was even still doing here. Yeah, in her excitement she had come a little early, but probably only a half hour. She felt her face drain at the thought <em>oh god what if they’re having a sleep over, I’m going to be here all night and if Adrien finds me he’s going to think I’m such a creep and this is totally going to change Felix’s perception of me and he’s never going to want to see me again and- </em>‘breathe Marinette’ she reminded herself in a voice that suspiciously sounded like Tikki’s.</p>
<p>Okay, rationally she knew Felix was not an idiot. Even if this was a sleepover, Felix would find some way to get Adrien to leave the room long enough for her to leave. Which meant she just had to be patient and wait it out. Yeah, every part of her brain was screaming <em>no, bad, wrong</em> and going on about how much of a disaster this entire night was, but well, there was little she could really do about that.</p>
<p>So, doing the best she could to calm down, she sat down and made herself comfortable. She wasn’t going to go through his clothes or anything like that, but seeing as most of them were hung up anyways she briefly looked. She could see a couple variations of his everyday clothing, a few flashier things she couldn’t really picture him wearing, some athletic wear she assumed was for ballet, and a couple of really nice suits that he most probably wore to any movie premieres his mom hosted. She had never seen him in a suit before, <em>it’s probably a really good look for him</em>, and she was going to stop that train of thought.</p>
<p>She was tempted to see if she could get a good sizing on him based off his clothes, but restrained herself. She gave herself a lot of leeway, but even she couldn’t find a reason why Marinette would suddenly know his measurements.  </p>
<p>“Hey Felix, not that the fresh air isn’t nice, but it’s getting kinda cold. Would you mind closing your balcony’s doors?” And whoops, her bad. <em>Still, it’s not like I could’ve done anything about that inside here</em>.</p>
<p>“Hm? Oh, give me a second.” She heard some shuffling before the creak of the doors shutting, which she couldn’t help but mentally link to jail cell doors.</p>
<p>She then heard a crinkly sound and Felix seemed to voice her very thoughts for her when he cursed, “Shit, I forgot about that.”</p>
<p>“What? Oh! I thought you weren’t a big fan of sweets, but here you are hiding some in your room. You’ve been holding out on me, Fe?” She heard Adrien tease.</p>
<p><em>God, I hope Felix is good at coming up with excuses</em>.</p>
<p>“I’m not, Ladybug swung by and dropped some off while you were downstairs.”</p>
<p><em>This is how I die</em>.</p>
<p>She heard Adrien laugh, “Oh yeah? I guess that explains why you opened up your balcony.”</p>
<p><em>It was a good life, really</em>.</p>
<p>“Of course not you dolt,” Felix huffed. “Marinette gave them to me earlier in class and I just forgot about them until now.”</p>
<p>“Ah Marinette’s so sweet and kind,” Adrien sighed, “it was a shame when she was pushed to the back, but I’m glad she’s made such good friends with you. Though I wish I could help her out more.”</p>
<p>“You made that deal with Lila right? You’d play nice so she would leave Marinette alone.” Huh, she hadn’t known about that before. Adrien never mentioned it, but quite a few of his actions made more sense now. She smiled, but no rush of giddiness or dramatic love came with it.</p>
<p>“I mean yeah, but Lila’s leaving Marinette a little <em>too</em> alone if you know what I mean. But that’s why it makes me so happy to always see you by her side, Felix! It seems like you two get along really well.”</p>
<p>There was a bit of an awkward pause, “I’m not <em>always</em> by her side, but yes I find her presence relaxing, unlike <em>some</em> people.”</p>
<p>“Ah, you know you love me.” Adrien dismissed. “But to hear you say you actually find someone relaxing? When’s the marriage proposal?”</p>
<p>
  <em>What.</em>
</p>
<p>“Excuse you?” She heard Felix hiss and <em>oh no this is how I die.</em></p>
<p>“Holy shit,” Adrien breathed out, “I was just joking, but you’re blushing! You actually have a crush on her, don’t you? I mean, not that I blame you-Marinette’s an amazing girl-but I’ve never known you to have positive feelings towards anyone’s who’s not your family.”</p>
<p>Marinette was panicking. <em>This is it. This is the end. I can no longer come out of this closet. In fact, I am going to die in here. I welcome death, literally anything is better than hearing them talk about this</em>. Her heart was beating so fast and she wasn’t sure if it was from the idea that Felix could possibly reciprocate her feelings or the deep fear she felt knowing Felix was probably going to deny it. <em>I just hope he’s not too harsh about it</em>.</p>
<p>“I have friends back in England.” He said instead and Marinette wanted to throttle him right then and there for keeping her in suspense.</p>
<p>“Are you romantically interested in any of them?”</p>
<p>Felix’s silence was all the answer it seemed Adrien needed. “I’m happy for you Felix, you should really ask her out. It seems like she likes you back, and honestly, I would be surprised if she said no. Besides, you should probably go for it before someone else does. I think half the class has had a crush on her at some point, I know Nino did.”</p>
<p>“What like you?” And Marinette did not have the mental capacity to process just what his tone meant.</p>
<p>“Ah, like I said, Marinette’s a great girl. But I’m still trying to process my feelings for someone else, and I wouldn’t date Marinette or anybody unless I was a hundred percent sure I had moved on.”</p>
<p>“I bet she’d be willing to wait.” Felix muttered, and <em>ouch that hurt</em>. Objectively she knew way back when she had told him she had a crush on Adrien, but still.</p>
<p>They were both silent for a while, and never did Marinette hate a door than she did now. Eventually Adrien spoke up, “Look, Felix, I don’t know if Marinette has feelings like that for me anyways, but it’s easy to see she really likes hanging out with you. Plus, I think you two would be good for one another. Haven’t you told me you two have been talking a lot anyways?”</p>
<p><em>What?</em> Yeah her and Felix talk at school, and he’s stopped by the bakery a few times, but Marinette wouldn’t exactly count that as a lot.</p>
<p>Felix sighed, “Adrien, go home. We both know you’re going to get in trouble for being out this late anyways.” and he sounded so tired, Marinette didn’t know what to do to fix that.</p>
<p>Adrien hummed, “You should think about it, Felix. But yeah, I’ll get out of your hair. You think I can have one of the treats Marinette gave you though?”</p>
<p>“Your gluttony knows no bounds, if I give you one will you leave?”</p>
<p>“Scout’s honor.” She could mentally imagine Adrien’s grin. She had to commend his effort to lighten the mood.</p>
<p>“You were never a scout, Adrien.” Felix sighed, but seemed to ruffle through the bag nonetheless.</p>
<p>“Ooh, macaroons. What kind are they?”</p>
<p>“I haven’t the slightest idea. I don’t think she’s ever given these kind to me before.”</p>
<p>“Wait she regularly gives stuff to you? Felix, come on.”</p>
<p><em>Shit, shit, shit, Ladybug normally brings stuff over, oh god Felix don’t make the connection</em>.</p>
<p>Another sigh, “Goodbye, Adrien. Do try not to die as you do whatever it is you do to sneak out and get back in.”</p>
<p>“Aw, I knew you cared.” Adrien laughed, before seriously adding, “Goodnight, Felix. Think about what I said, and if you wanna talk later just let me know, okay?”</p>
<p>Felix merely hummed in response, and Marinette waited with baited breath until a quiet, “You can come out now”.</p>
<p>While she really didn’t want to, she forced herself to seemingly compose herself and exit the closet. She might have succeeded in looking unaffected had she not immediately tripped the second she was out, ultimately causing both her and Felix (who bless his heart, tried to help) to end up on the bed. Felix ended up being slammed down into it, while Marinette was barely able to catch her arms on the wall.</p>
<p>She heard Felix let out a quiet "oof", before she looked down. Marinette was sure her eyes were comically wide as she processed just what kind of view Felix was getting of her chest and how she had trapped him against the wall while essentially straddling him.</p>
<p>She quickly rolled off him, apologizing all the while as her face burned. It really was just her luck to have that happen after the already terrible situation she was in and she was once reaffirmed in the idea she was going to die tonight.</p>
<p>“It’s alright.” She heard Felix choke out as he sat up, his face also bright red.</p>
<p>“Ahh I really am so sorry I promise I didn’t mean to do that and I also totally didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation! I promise I tried to listen to as little as possible and we can totally never talk about this again-”</p>
<p>“Ladybug-”</p>
<p>“But also I completely understand if you want me to stop coming over I mean I definitely should have warned you and if I was quicker to react we never would have had this issue in the first place I really should have just gone when you told me I couldn’t come in and-”</p>
<p>“Ladybug-”</p>
<p>“I promise that I completely respect you not wanting me to come in like never feel obligated to let me come in and in fact if I’m coming over too much just let me know I really don’t want to intrude-”</p>
<p>“Ladybug!”</p>
<p>“Oh and speaking of intrusion I’m so so sorry I heard that conversation between you and Adrien it seemed really personal and I promise I’m not going to make any assumptions about you just because of it like you said ‘I don’t believe in rumors’ ha right I’m sure Adrien doesn’t know what he’s talking about anyways and-”</p>
<p>“Marinette breathe!”</p>
<p>“I-what?” That certainly got her to stop. <em>Felix did not just say what I think he said</em> <em>oh no oh no oh no no no</em>.</p>
<p>Felix looked a little shocked at his own words, but seemed to double down on the idea, “Marinette I said breathe, here come sit on the bed, it’s okay I’m not mad.”</p>
<p>Marinette could only nod numbly and do what she was told as her brain tried to process what just happened.</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a bit while Marinette stopped hyperventilating (and when had she started doing that) before Felix asked if he could touch her.</p>
<p>She again simply nodded, and felt him scoot closer so they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. “Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“I mean, no. Are you?”</p>
<p>“Ah, also not great.”</p>
<p>Marinette felt more shame go through her as she opened her mouth to apologize again only to be shushed by Felix. “It’s not because of you, Marinette, I just wished things had… happened differently.”</p>
<p>She felt herself wince. “We really can pretend that this never happened and I can leave you be.”</p>
<p>A look of hurt flashed through Felix before he turned away. “Is that what you want?”</p>
<p>“No of course not!” She spoke before she caught herself, “I just didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I’m sure you don’t really wanna be around me now…”</p>
<p>He suddenly turned back to look at her, seemingly searching her face for something. She felt herself instinctively blush, unused to such a serious gaze. Eyes snapping to hers and seemingly decision made, he placed a hand on her face, bringing his lips inches to her own before breathing out, “You’re such an idiot, Marinette. Can I kiss you?’</p>
<p>She had their lips pressed together before he had even finished asking.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Across the way, a black cat checked to see if they were done making out and instead smiled goofily as he saw them sharing the leftover macaroon. He had long since finished his, and he was definitely going to beg Marinette for more and tease her as he stopped by tomorrow.</p>
<p>“They’re officially together?” A voice spoke out from his staff.</p>
<p>“If they aren’t, I’m going to lock them <em>both </em>in a closet. But judging from how they’ve spent the last five minutes or so…”</p>
<p>“I don’t need details. But you know Marinette’s going to skin you alive when she finds out you knew she was Ladybug, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but that’s a problem for future me. Hey Luka, thanks for letting me know what days she usually visits by the way.”</p>
<p>“Yeah no problem, I only felt like somewhat of a stalker.”</p>
<p>“Hey it’s worth it though. My cousin and Marinette are happy, Kagami owes each of us ten bucks, and now she has to go see that super cheesy romantic movie with us without complaining.”</p>
<p>A laugh sounded from the staff, “That is where you are wrong, Adrien. I believe you owe <em>me</em> ten dollars, and a movie date of my choice.”</p>
<p>“Kagami? Luka how could you betray me like this??”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Chat could basically hear Luka’s grin, “She found out halfway through and promised not to kill me if I helped.”</p>
<p>At the sound of Chat’s dramatic spluttering Kagami added, “It’s worth it though right? For Marinette’s and Felix’s happiness?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess.” Chat grumbled, though with no real annoyance, “besides, I’m just happy I get to go on a date with my two favorite people.”</p>
<p>“<em>Oh, </em>are you now?” Another voice sounded.</p>
<p>“Ah, I believe that is our cue to leave, congratulations Marinette!” Kagami’s voice rang out as Luka simultaneously yelled “congrats!” and before Chat knew it, he was left abandoned.</p>
<p>“So, Adrien, let’s talk about dates.” Behind Ladybug’s intimating form, Chat got one last look at Felix’s house where he saw Felix smirking. He was given a quick wave before Felix shut the doors to the balcony, effectively leaving him alone with Ladybug.</p>
<p>Oh this was <em>so</em> going to be the last time he ever did anything nice for Felix.</p>
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